The accidental stylist

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 —

This is the story about how I became a stylist.

(OOTD deets: Zara top, Topshop jeans, SM Parisian shoes)

I was just going to blog about the H&M showroom but it dawned on me (when I was going through my lifeplans last night) that I have been doing "Styling" for 3 years already. So I thought, why not share with you guys how I became a stylist? :)

My course is SO not related to fashion. I took up Organizational Communication in DLSU (it's like business communication --- we studied PR, events, crisis management, comm theories, video editing, photography, graphic design etc). Months before I graduated, I seriously thought I was going to be a video editor because that was the major I loved the most.

After graduating I suddenly felt lost. I was thisclose to applying in production houses but for some weird reason, I ended up applying in hotels (HAHAHA SO WEIRD RIGHT!) as a front desk officer. I think a friend influenced me so I got swayed. I got job offers but nothing felt right. While I was searching for jobs in jobstreet, I decided to check out the available ones in Summit Media. This company is close to my heart because I joined them when I was in highschool as a junior writer for Candy Magazine (I was part of Candy Council of Cool batch 7).

Saw the "media relations associate" post and the job title sounded cool so I applied. Haha! I said to myself that anything media-related should be good because I took up communications anyway! :P Found out it was a PR job when I had my first interview. In my head I was like "Oh, okay! This is super related to my course!" so I went through several interviews and submitted sample articles then BAAAAM! I got the job.

So basically, I had to do PR for 7 magazines that time. Preview, Good Housekeeping,
Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Town & Country, Playhouse Disney, and OK!
Magazine. I was also in-charge of some websites: Stylebible.ph,
Spot.ph, Femalenetwork.com. It was a very challenging job. I had to create publicity plans (DUH haha!), write tons of entertainment and lifestyle PR articles every month, go to radio stations and tv shows with my editors so they can promote the magazine, write blurbs for radio & print ads, invite press to our events etc.

I have to admit I cried several times because of stress. But I survived because I had a cool boss and fun teammates! Since I handled the PR of Preview magazine, I would always be with my super fashyon editors (my idols, too!) I can't remember how we reached the topic but one of my editors in Preview asked if I wanted to try styling. That kind of work never crossed my mind but of course my response was "Sure, why not!" =)) She gave me rakets and I assisted her in some shoots. She is my fashion styling fairygodmother slash mentor :)Random fact: Back in college I wasn't into fashion (I was a tshirt-shorts-havaianas kind of girl). But because of this job, I always had to look presentable so I learned how to dress up and eventually, I fell in love with fashion.

After 8 months, I decided to leave my PR job and went back to school. But this time, it's FASHION school. I took up short courses in SoFA; fashion styling, trends, design and constructing. After 3 months of studying, my editors from Summit Media found out I studied styling and asked if I wanted to style for their shoots. That's how I started getting styling jobs.

I'll be forever grateful to my editors for giving a newbie like me the chance to become a contributing stylist for their magazines. If people think the fashion world is all about glitz and glam, you're wrong. 3 years in this industry taught me SO MUCH STUFF... if I'd enumerate them it'll take forever.

This year I have to decide if I'm going to continue doing this or shift to a different career. Don't get me wrong, I like my job a lot! But I'm the kind of person who likes to try new things; this may sound cliche but I want to expand my horizons. ACK, adult decisions. I also have to plan when I'm going to leave the country, what kind of work I want to do in that city, how I'm going to look for work... SIGH!!! I lack self-confidence so I'm depending on my God-confidence about this seemingly quarter-life crisis. HAHAHA. So many things are going through my head but I won't disclose anything yet because nothing is final.

I didn't know you were a Lasallian!! I'm a DLSU student too taking up International Studies major in European studies :) The thing is I'm on my last year and well let's just say I'm still confused haha! I loveeee writing and fashion and I dream of working for a magazine as well (pero parang walang connect sa course haha!) In fact, I just had that realization a few months ago that's why I already decided to take fashion courses too after I graduate. Planning to go to SoFA as well... is it good?? And only 3 months for all that (styling, trends,design)? I heard they also have fashion writing? :) Huhu sorry for writing a novel-ish comment haha!

ANIMOOOO!! haahaha :p Usually people tend to feel more confused pag malapit na mag-graduate. Just do everything while youre young. If you want to take up fashion courses, go for it! :) very different yun environment ng sofa compared to dlsu!